a  Christian 


ARTHUR  RUGH 


Measure  of 


Jesus’  Measure  of 
a  Christian 


ARTHUR  RUGH 

Secretary  International  Committee 
Young  Men's  Christian  Associations 
Foreign  Division  (China) 


LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 


MAY  2  3  2000 


THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


ASSOCIATION  PRESS 

New  York:  347  Madison  Ave. 
1923 


Copyright,  1923,  by 
The  International  Committee  of 
Young  Men’s  Christian  Associations. 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America. 


These  studies  were  produced  and  first  published  in  China  by 
the  Young  Men’s  Christain  Association.  At  the  request  and 
with  the  cooperation  of  the  Commission  on  Materials  for 
Christain  Education  and  Training,  the  author  has,  with  the 
permission  of  the  Association  Press  in  China,  completely 
revised  them  for  publication  in  America. 


FOREWORD 

Two  students  sit  together  in  school — one  is  a  Christian, 
one  is  not.  What  is  the  difference?  Two  men  work  in 
the  same  office.  One  is  a  Christian,  one  is  not.  What 
is  the  difference  in  their  value  to  society  ? 

Does  being  a  Christian  mean  membership  in  an  organ¬ 
ization,  the  intellectual  acceptance  of  certain  teachings, 
the  carrying  out  of  some  certain  kind  of  daily  program  ? 
Is  it  a  form  of  worship  or  a  spiritual  inner  experience,  or 
is  it  all  or  none  of  these? 

If  men  are  to  test  fairly  the  reality  of  their  Christian 
lives,  or  if  we  are  to  decide  wisely  whether  or  not  Chris¬ 
tianity  is  the  solution  of  individual,  social  and  world 
problems,  this  question — What  is  a  Christian  ? — must  first 
be  clearly  answered. 

Naturally  the  Founder  of  the  Religion  is  the  one  best 
fitted  to  state  its  implications.  These  lessons  aim  to  help 
a  student  discover  what  Jesus  meant  by  a  Christian. 


3 


GENERAL  SUGGESTIONS 

1.  These  lessons  are  divided  into  sections  so  that  a  busy 
student  can,  each  morning,  get  one  important  truth  of 
the  lesson. 

2.  The  lessons  will  be  useful  and  interesting  only  as  the 
student  writes  out  his  own  solution  of  the  problems  stated. 
Keep  a  special  note  book  for  this  purpose. 

3.  Give  at  least  fifteen  minutes  each  morning  and  an 
hour  at  the  end  of  the  week  to  the  lesson.  The  subject 
is  worthy  of  thorough  study  and  will  not  be  profitable  with 
hurried,  superficial  thinking. 

4.  It  is  with  purpose  that  practically  no  comments  are 
made  on  the  subject  under  discussion.  The  plan  of  the 
course  is  to  send  the  student  to  a  study  of  the  experience 
of  men  and  to  the  Bible  for  the  answer  to  the  question 
of  the  implications  of  the  Christian  life.  Unless  the  stu¬ 
dent  is  willing  to  think  independently  and  to  work  thor¬ 
oughly,  this  course  will  not  be  useful. 

5.  In  some  lessons  more  questions  are  asked  than  a 
busy  student  will  have  time  to  answer.  They  do  not  pre¬ 
tend  to  completely  cover  the  subject  and  are  not  neces¬ 
sarily  sequential.  Some  of  the  questions  can  be  omitted 
if  necessary  without  confusing  the  argument.  Certain 
questions  will  require  little  thought,  and  some  much 
thought,  the  time  required  ranging  with  the  experience 
of  the  student. 

6.  Faithfully  attempt  to  render  the  service  suggested  at 
the  end  of  each  lesson.  The  final  test  of  the  lesson  is 
life  rather  than  logical  conclusions. 


5 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/jesusmeasureofchOOrugh 


LESSON  I. 

PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS 


Among  Christians  there  are  some  who  are  selfish,  some 
who  are  irritable  and  hard  to  live  with,  some  who  are 
dishonest  and  unfair  in  social  relationships.  Among  non- 
Christians  there  are  many  charming  personalities,  unsel¬ 
fish  folk  who  live  for  others  and  play  life’s  game  squarely. 
Being  a  Christian  does  not  seem  always  to  produce  any 
certain  type  of  character  easily  distinguishable  from  non- 
Christians.  Should  a  Christian  be  easily  recognizable  and 
if  so  what  are  the  marks j^  Tf  you  wished  to  separate  an 
audience  into  Christians’  and  non-Christians  on  the  basis 
of  their  characters,  what  tests  would  you  apply? 

Read  Matt.  5 :1-12. 

First  Day 

Write  out  the  eight  things  which  Jesus  said  make  a 
man  happy. 

Which  two  or  three  of  these  qualities  do  you  rank  as 
most  important  in  a  Christian  life? 

Why? 


Second  Day 

Classify  these  eight  sources  of  blessedness  under  the 
headings — inner  life,  relation  to  God.  relation  to  others. 

What  did  Jesus  seem  to  teach  here  was  the  relation  be¬ 
tween  these  three  realms  of  life — personal,  social,  spir¬ 
itual  ? 

Make  a  list  of  your  acquaintances  who  illustrate  what 
Jesus  taught  makes  folks  happy. 

How  many  of  these  beatitudes  do  you  suppose  Jesus 
learned  out  of  his  own  experiences? 


i 


Third  Day 

Read  Matt.  5 :13-16. 

How  can  a  Christian  live  so  that  you  could  accurately 
say  that  he  is  like  salt  or  light  ? 

Make  a  list  of  some  changes  which  would  come  in  your 
community  if  all  Christians  were  aggressively  like  salt  and 
light. 

Exactly  what  changes  would  come  in  an  average  school 
if  every  Christian  in  it  were  a  purifying  influence? 

Fourth  Day 

Read  Matt.  5:27-30. 

If  I  decide  to  steal  something  but  am  prevented  from 
doing  it,  am  I  a  thief? 

If  I  hate  a  man  but  never  speak  evil  of  him  or  injure 
him  in  any  way,  what  harm  is  it? 

Exactly  what  did  Jesus  mean  to  teach  here? 

Fifth  Day 

Read  John  15:12,  17,  Matt.  5:43-46  and  Luke  10:25-28. 
Why  is  a  loving  disposition  often  supposed  to  lack  in 
manly  virility? 

Does  a  man  with  a  loving  temperament  ever  make  a 
good  fighter? 

What  is  the  difference  between  sentimentalism  and  love  ? 
Illustrate. 

Who  is  the  most  lovable  person  you  know? 

Why  is  he  or  she  lovable? 

Sixth  Day 

Read  through  Matthew,  Chapters  6  and  7  for  additional 
evidence  on  what  the  characteristics  of  a  Christian  should 
be  ? 

Does  your  answer  require  richness  and  growth  in  per¬ 
sonal  character  and  in  social  and  spiritual  relationship? 

8 


Seventh  Day 

Read  II  Corinthians  3 :18. 

If  a  Christian  is  one  whose  life  is  becoming*  like  the  life 
of  Jesus,  what  should  his  chief  characteristics  be? 

According  to  this  definition,  who  is  the  truest  Christian 
you  know? 

Talk  with  some  good  friend  who  is  not  a  Christian, 
Discover  the  chief  reason  why  he  is  not  a  Christian  and 
report  to  the  class  what  you  discover. 

Read  “The  Changed  Life,”  by  Henry  Drummond. 


PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 

1.  What  would  you  rank  as  the  first  three  qualities  of 
a  Christian  character  ? 

2.  Compare  with  other  members  of  the  group  your  an¬ 
swers  to  the  questions  of  section  seven  of  this  lesson. 

3.  In  what  way  do  you  think  the  character  of  the  aver¬ 
age  Christian  most  needs  to  be  changed  to  become  like  the 
character  of  Jesus? 

4.  What  change,  if  any,  has  this  lesson  made  in  your 
idea  of  what  should  be  the  chief  characteristics  of  a  Chris¬ 
tian  ? 

5.  Whom  would  you  rank  among  your  friends  as  com¬ 
ing  nearest  to  having  a  perfect  Christian  character  ?  Why  ? 


9 


LESSON  n. 
LIFE  PROGRAM 


In  our  block  there  live  forty-two  families.  Twenty- 
eight  of  them  are  Christian  families;  fourteen  are  non- 
Christian.  All  of  them  work  busily  six  days  of  the  week, 
the  women  chiefly  at  home,  the  men  chiefly  in  business. 
Most  of  them,  both  Christians  and  non-Christians,  are 
very  busy  also  on  Sunday,  especially  the  women.  Prac¬ 
tically  all  of  the  life  energy  of  all  of  our  neighbors,  Chris¬ 
tians  and  non-Christians,  is  spent  in  a  steady,  absorbing 
routine  of  the  day’s  work.  Should  there  be  a  difference  in 
the  way  Christians  and  non-Christians  spend  their  time 
and  energy;  if  so,  what  should  the  difference  be? 

Study  the  incident  in  Luke  12  :13-33. 

First  Day 

Just  what  does  it  mean  to  ‘‘seek  first  the  Kingdom  of 
God”  ? 

Are  you  sure  of  your  answer? 

What  is  your  definition  of  the  “Kingdom  of  God”? 

For  the  next  week  keep  a  record  of  incidents  and  events 
which  you  see  which  would  not  have  occurred  if  the  King¬ 
dom  of  God  were  fully  come  in  your  community. 

Second  Day 

Was  there  anything  wrong  with  the  request  of  this  man 
in  the  crowd?  If  you  were  assured  you  could  have  your 
next  prayer  answered  what  would  it  be? 

Is  it  the  church’s  duty  to  work  for  a  fair  distribution  of 
property  and  profits? 

Did  Jesus  mean  that  He  had  no  responsibility  for  the 
“affairs  of  men”? 

How  many  of  the  people  in  your  community  are  spend¬ 
ing  their  time  for  material  things? 

10 


Third  Day 

What  was  wrong  with  the  plans  of  the  rich  farmer  in 
the  parable  that  Jesus  gave? 

What,  if  anything,  is  wrong  about  a  Christian  storing 
up  much  wealth? 

Under  what  conditions  is  it  right  for  a  Christian  to  be 
worth  a  million  dollars? 

Can  a  man  be  as  selfish  with  a  hundred  dollars  as  with 
a  million  ?  Are  you  sure  ? 

If  you  had  a  million  dollars  what  would  you  do  with  it  ? 

Fourth  Day 

Just  exactly  what  change  did  Jesus  want  to  make  in  His 
disciples  when  He  urged  them  to  put  “life”  above 
“things”  ? 

What  did  He  mean  by  “life”? 

A  fine  Christian  business  man  urged  the  boys  in  a  Hi 
Y  club  to  go  into  business  because  they  might  “make  a  for¬ 
tune.”  What  was  wrong  with  the  proposition  ? 

Read  Matthew  20  :25-28. 

Fifth  Day 

Read  Matthew  10:37-39. 

In  the  incident  studied  thus  far  this  week,  Jesus  urged 
His  followers  to  put  “life”  above  everything.  How  He 
says  men  must  lose  “life”  to  save  it.  Explain  the  seem¬ 
ing  contradiction. 

Who  is  the  best  illustration  you  know  of  this  principle 
of  having  life  by  losing  it? 

Sixth  Day 

Read  Luke  9:57-62. 

Since  Christianity  has  produced  the  best  homes  on  earth 
and  the  truest  devotion  to  all  family  relations,  what  did 
Jesus  mean  by  these  seemingly  unfilial  commands. 


11 


Seventh  Day 

Most  Christians  spend  much  of  their  time  working  to 
build  and  support  a  good  home,  with  education,  play  and 
social  life.  Is  this  “spreading  abroad  the  Kingdom  of 
God”? 

Should  a  Christian  business  or  professional  man  be 
called  to  his  life  work  the  same  as  a  minister? 

Talk  with  some  Christian  friend  who  is  not  putting  the 
Kingdom  first  in  his  life  program,  discover  what  is  first, 
help  him  make  the  needed  change  if  you  can  and  report 
results  to  the  group. 

PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 

1.  Exactly  what  changes  would  come  in  your  community 
if  all  Christians  arranged  their  life  program  according  to 
the  teachings  of  this  lesson  ? 

2.  Compare  with  other  members  of  the  group  your  an¬ 
swer  to  the  questions  in  section  one. 

3.  What  change,  if  any,  has  this  lesson  made  in  your 
idea  of  what  should  absorb  most  of  the  life  of  any  Chris¬ 
tian  ? 

4.  State  the  arguments  for  and  against  the  position  of 
the  man  who  said,  “My  business  is  to  extend  the  Kingdom 
of  God.  I  cobble  shoes  to  pay  expenses.” 

Under  what  conditions  could  pegging  shoes  be  a  sacred 
task,  part  of  the  Kingdom,  and  under  what  conditions 
could  preaching  be  a  secular  task? 

5.  Is  a  Christian  business  man  justified  in  spending 
more  time  and  money  on  himself  and  his  home  than  is  a 
Christian  preacher  ?  Why  ? 

Should  a  preacher  own  a  $50,000  residence? 

12 


LESSON  III. 

CONQUERING  SIN 

Sin  is  the  great  clemocratizer.  Here  we  are  all  in  one 
class;  Culture,  wealth,  education  in  one  family;  poverty 
and  ignorance  in  the  other,  but  the  first  family  produced 
a  devil  and  the  last  family,  a  saint. 

And  sin  threatens  all  of  life.  An  honored  and  trusted 
bank  cashier  works  overtime  for  thirty  years,  serving  the 
people,  but  yields  to  sin  and  ends  his  life  deservedly  in 
the  penitentiary.  A  mind  that  was  meant  to  solve  some 
of  the  problems  of  humanity,  plays  with  sin  and  becomes 
a  pollution  among  the  boys  of  the  community.  The  record 
says  that  Jesus  came  not  to  complete  the  philosophies  of 
men,  reform  society,  nor  build  effective  nations,  but  simply 
to  save  His  people  from  their  sin.  Here  we  seem  to  face 
straight  into  life’s  real  struggle.  Can  a  man  by  being  a 
Christian  meet  and  master  this  monster  ?  And  if  so,  how  ? 

First  Day 

Read  John  1:29  and  Matthew  1:21. 

What  does  this  record  give  as  the  mission  of  Christ  to 
men? 

Have  you  thought  of  victory  over  sin  as  being  of  such 
supreme  value  as  to  spend  Christ’s  life  to  secure  it? 

Read  Hebrews  12 :4. 

Second  Day 

Read  Matthew  5 :29-30. 

Did  Jesus  mean  this  teaching  literally? 

If  not,  what  did  He  mean  ? 

What  should  a  Christian  do  when  he  hears  someone  be¬ 
gin  to  tell  a  vulgar  story? 


13 


Third  Day 

Read  Matthew  4:1-11. 

How  did  Jesus  win  His  complete  victory  over  tempta¬ 
tion? 

Is  the  same  road  to  victory  open  to  us? 

What  do  you  think  is  the  most  common  sin  in  your  com¬ 
munity  ? 

Fourth  Day 

Read  Hebrews  2:18,  4:15  and  5:8,  9. 

What  relation  does  this  writer  say  Jesus  has  to  our 
fight  for  victory  ? 

How  can  Jesus  help  us  now  to  conquer  sin? 

Find  one  way  in  Luke  22 :40-41,  and  Hebrews  7 :25. 

Make  a  list  of  times  and  ways  in  which  you  remember 
Jesus  helped  you  to  conquer  sin? 

Fifth  Day 

Read  Matthew  25 :41-46. 

What  sin  had  these  men  committed  which  brought  on 
them  such  fierce  judgment  from  Christ? 

What  would  happen  if  there  should  come  into  a  modern 
Church  social  event  a  known  harlot  and  also  a  man  who 
had  failed  to  help  the  needy  in  the  community? 

“To  him  that  knoweth  to  do  good  and  doeth  it  not,  to 
him  it  is  sin.’’ 

Sixth  Day 

Read  John  3:16  and  3:36,  16:9. 

What  is  the  sin  of  unbelief  which  seems  to  be  so  final 
in  its  results? 


14 


Is  it  a  sin  to  doubt  the  commonly  accepted  beliefs  of 
the  church? 

Revise  this  definition  of  “belief”  as  Jesus  used  the  word: 
“Belief  is  the  consecration  of  your  whole  personality  to  the 
service  of  God  through  the  service  of  men.”  Compare 
Luke  10 :26-27. 

Seventh  Day 

Read  Luke  15  :l-32. 

Reduce  to  one  paragraph  the  teaching  of  this  chapter  on 
the  Problem  of  Victory  over  Sin. 

What  is  the  chief  cause  why  young  men  in  your  com¬ 
munity  go  astray? 

Resolve  that  this  next  week  shall  be  one  of  special  vic¬ 
tory  over  your  worst  temptation  and  fight  for  a  record 
week. 

Read  “A  Rational  Fight  for  Character,”  by  H.  C.  King. 


PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 

1.  What  are  the  most  troublesome  temptations  of  Chris¬ 
tians? 

2.  Who  is  the  most  victorious  Christian  you  know  and 
what  do  you  believe  to  be  the  secret  of  his  success. 

3.  A  man  asked  Moody,  “Are  you  having  victory  in 
your  soul?”  Do  you  approve  Moody’s  answer  when  he 
said,  “I  don’t  know,  I’m  too  busy  getting  folks  saved  to 
think  about  it.”? 

4.  In  a  list  of  things  to  be  done  next  week  by  a  busy 
Christian  man,  where  would  you  rank  the  fight  for  victory 
over  sin  ? 

5.  What  new  light,  if  any,  has  this  week’s  study  brought 
you  on  the  path  to  a  very  victorious  life? 


15 


LESSON  IV. 
PRAYING 


If  prayer  works,  it  is  unmeasurable  in  its  power.  If  a 
Christian  can  pray  and  thereby  aifect  the  amount  of  God’s 
power  directed  at  any  one  point  in  life,  then  he  ought  to 
be  grandly  victorious  in  his  own  life,  and  irresistibly  use¬ 
ful  in  the  community.  If  prayer  works,  then  a  wise  Chris¬ 
tian  would  systematically  and  scientifically  spend  the  best 
part  of  every  day  using  it  as  a  method  of  work.  If  prayer 
works,  then  “saying  your  prayers”  at  night  just  before 
,you  go  entirely  to  sleep  as  the  chief  use  of  prayer  is  a 
farce  and  travesty  on  prayer.  Can  a  Christian  cooperate 
with  God  directly  in  the  days  work  by  prayer  ?  If  so,  how  ? 

First  Day 

Read  Mark  1:35-36;  Luke  6:12,  13;  9:18;  22:39-42  and 
John  17 :9  and  20. 

Write  out  from  each  passage  one  significant  fact  about 
Jesus’  practice  of  prayer. 

What  do  you  think  were  the  chief  things  for  which 
Jesus  prayed? 

What  is  the  prayer  most  often  oifered  by  Christians? 

Second  Day 

Read  Luke  11  :l-4. 

What  do  you  learn  about  Jesus’  practice  of  prayer  from, 
“He  was  praying  at  a  certain  place  and  when  He 
stopped” ? 

Jesus  evidently  left  on  His  followers  the  impression  of 
being  an  expert  in  prayer. 

Lay  your  plans  now  to  make  a  thorough  study  of  Jesus’ 
prayer  life. 


16 


Third  Day 

Read  Matthew  6 :9-13. 

“When  you  pray  say  Our  Father.” 

Write  out  what  it  means  in  the  science  of  prayer  that 
God  is  our  loving-  Almighty  Father. 

What  is  the  chief  difference  between  a  boy’s  relation  to 
his  father  and  to  some  other  very  valued  friend? 

What  effect  does  it  have  on  the  relation  between  you  and 
your  father  when  he  shares  with  you  something  which  you 
need  ? 

What  is  gained  in  relation  between  a  father  and  son 
when  the  father  sometimes  waits  to  be  asked  before  he 
gives  his  son  what  he  needs? 

Fourth  Day 

“Forgive  us  our  debts  as  we  have  forgiven”. 

Apply  this  principle  of  our  relation  to  God  depending 
upon  our  relation  to  others  to  all  of  the  petitions  in  this 
prayer. 

For  instance,  if  you  asked  for  food,  what  does  that  imply 
as  to  your  relation  to  those  in  need  around  you  or  in 
Poland  or  China? 

What  is  wrong  when  a  man  asks  mercy  of  God  while 
he  is  critically  judging  his  neighbors? 

Could  a  man  pray,  “Thy  Kingdom  come  on  earth”  if 
he  is  storing  up  wealth  or  spending  money  selfishly  on 
wasteful  luxuries? 

Fifth  Day 

Read  John  14:13-15. 

What  does  it  mean  to  pray  “in  Jesus  name”? 

17 


Was  Jesus  teaching  the  same  truth  in  John  15:7? 

If  “in  His  name”  means  “in  His  Spirit”  what  would 
most  of  our  prayers  be  for? 

Is  the  value  of  our  prayers  measured  by  the  Christ- 
likeness  of  our  daily  lives? 

Next  time  you  hear  a  public  prayer  imagine  that  Jesus 
is  offering  the  prayer  and  see  what  impression  you  get. 

Sixth  Day 

The  subject  of  prayer  is  worthy  of  a  life-long  study. 

Plan  to  go  through  the  Bible  soon  and  study  thoroughly 
all  the  teachings  on  prayer. 

Meantime  write  down  more  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus 
on  the  subject  from  John  9:31,  15:16,  17.T-26,  Matthew 
18:19-22,  Luke  11:5-13,  22:32. 

Is  it  right  for  a  student  or  a  team  to  pray  for  victory 
in  a  game? 

Seventh  Day 

Would  you  agree  to  the  proposition  that  prayer  is  a 
practical  method  of  bringing  superhuman  power  to  bear  on 
human  tasks? 

What  is  the  cause  of  your  own  failure  to  use  prayer  to 
its  full  capacity? 

What  is  the  best  instance  you  know  of  answered  prayer? 

Write  out  some  things  which  you  believe  you  should 
pray  for  in  connection  with  your  friends  and  pray  regu¬ 
larly  until  an  answer  comes. 


18 


PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 


1.  What  are  the  questions  about  prayer  which  most  trou¬ 
ble  men  and  what  is  your  answer  to  these  questions? 

2.  What  are  the  conditions  of  effective  praying  ? 

3.  A  very  earnest  Christian  wholesale  grocer  saw  the 
price  of  sugar  drop  to  where  it  meant  financial  ruin  for 
him.  Would  it  have  been  right  for  him  to  pray  that  the 
price  of  sugar  hold  steady  until  he  sold  his  stock  at  cost? 
Why? 

4.  What  change,  if  any,  has  this  week’s  study  made  in 
your  understanding  of  prayer  or  of  your  plans  for  its  use  ? 

5.  What  two  or  three  problems  which  the  Church  faces 
in  your  community  do  you  think  come  within  the  zone  of 
problems  which  can  be  solved  by  prayer? 


19 


LESSON  V. 

THE  CHURCH 

The  Church  has  been  and  is  the  greatest  force  on  earth, 
superior  in  value  to  any  organization,  movement  or  nation. 
And  it  is  steadily  increasing  in  its  power  in  the  world. 
And  yet,  the  Church’s  best  friends  believe  it  has  inherent 
powers  far  beyond  those  now  being  used  and  that  if  the 
Church  should  function  in  some  full  measure  up  to  its 
normal  power,  it  could  really  redeem  the  world.  What 
change  in  program,  what  new  appropriation  of  available 
spiritual  power,  what  improved  leadership,  what  better 
conceptions  of  the  Christian's  relation  to  the  Church, 
would  make  the  Church  in  reality  the  power  it  is  meant 
to  be? 

First  Day 

Read  Matthew  28:19-20. 

What  are  the  chief  reasons  why  a  Christian  should  unite 
with  the  Church  and  work  in  it? 

Are  they  the  same  reasons  as  require  a  soldier  to  join 
the  army  of  his  country  in  time  of  war  instead  of  fighting 
alone  ? 

Can  a  man  be  a  worthy  citizen  and  true  patriot  outside 
of  the  Church? 

Second  Day 

Read  Matthew  10 :32-33. 

What  is  the  primary  purpose  of  Church  attendance? 

What  is  the  difference  between  a  Christian’s  relation  to 
the  Church  and  to  any  other  organization  such  as  a  fra¬ 
ternal  order? 

What  is  the  chief  reason  why  men  do  not  join  the 
Church  ? 


20 


Third  Day 

Read  Eph.  5 :23-32. 

Write  out  five  or  six  thing's  which  Paul  here  says  about 
Christ’s  relation  to  the  Church. 

Christ  loves  the  Church  as  “His  own  holy  bride.” 

A  Christian  is  a  man  who  is  becoming  like  Christ. 

What  would  be  two  or  three  of  the  chief  evidences  that 
a  man  devotedly  loves  the  Church? 

Who  among  your  acquaintances  loves  the  Church  most? 
Why? 

Fourth  Day 

Read  I  Cor.  11 :23-26. 

The  observance  of  this  sacrament  in  memory  of  Christ’s 
life  and  death  has  been  of  inestimable  value  to  Christians 
for  two  thousand  years. 

Why  should  Jesus  provide  especially  that  Christians 
should  never  forget  “His  broken  body  and  shed  blood”? 

Why  is  it  appropriate  for  a  Church  building  to  have  a 
cross  on  it? 

Can  you  think  of  a  more  appropriate  symbol? 

To  what  degree  is  this  an  accurate  definition:  “The 
Church  consists  of  those  who  are  living  sacrificial  lives 
after  the  pattern  of  Jesus  Christ”? 

Fifth  Day 

What  are  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  denomi¬ 
nations  in  the  Church? 

What  is  the  test  of  which  is  the  best  denomination  for 
any  man? 

Is  there  any  best  denomination  for  everybody? 

21 


Sixth  Day 

What  are  the  two  or  three  chief  improvements  which 
you  would  like  to  see  made  in  your  Church? 

What  are  the  things  in  a  Church’s  program  which  make 
it  most  attractive  to  men? 

Why  does  it  sometimes  seem  to  be  more  attractive  to 
women  than  to  men? 

What  does  a  Christian  have  a  right  to  expect  from  his 
Church  ? 

What  does  the  Church  have  a  right  to  expect  from  every 
Christian  ? 

Seventh  Day 

Make  an  estimate  of  how  your  Church  divides  its  energy 
between  these  tasks : 

(a)  Leading  non-Christians  into  the  Christian  life. 

(b)  Developing  the  life  of  its  Christian  members. 

(c)  Making  the  Community  a  Christian  community. 

Are  you  satisfied  with  the  proportion  ? 

If  not.  how  would  you  change  it? 

Why? 

Go  to  your  pastor  and  ask  him  what  additional  service 
you  can  render  your  Church  and  then  enlist  at  least  one 
of  your  friends  to  share  that  service  with  you. 


PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 

1.  Compare  with  other  members  of  the  group  your  an¬ 
swers  to  the  questions  under  section  7. 

2.  Why  is  the  average  Church  more  attractive  to  adults 
than  to  young  folks? 


22 


What  changes  could  be  made  in  the  average  Church  to 
make  it  more  attractive  to  young  folks  ? 

3.  What  are  the  chief  qualities  of  a  successful  minister? 

Who  is  the  most  helpful  minister  you  ever  knew  ? 

Why? 

4.  Is  the  Church  the  best  agency  through  which  a  Chris¬ 
tian  can  meet  his  responsibilities  to  the  community  ? 

Why? 

5.  What  would  you  say  to  a  man  who  says  he  can  wor¬ 
ship  God  on  a  golf  course  or  driving  over  the  hills  as  well 
as  he  can  in  Church? 


23 


LESSOR  VI. 


WORKING  WITH  OTHERS 

Life’s  problems  nre  mostly  problems  of  relationships; 
wars,  strikes,  divorce,  problems  of  the  nation,  of  business, 
of  social  pleasure,  of  the  home;  if  folks  could  work  to¬ 
gether  in  effective  harmony,  most  of  life’s  problems  would 
be  solved.  Does  Christianity  have  a  solution  for  these 
problems?  Is  a  real  Christian  more  adjustable  and  more 
charming  because  he  is  a  Christian?  Would  a  Christian 
world  be  a  warless  world  free  from  strife  of  any  kind? 
If  Christianity  has  this  power,  how  can  we  bring  it  tc 
bear  on  this  divided  unloving  human  race? 

First  Day 

Read  Matthew  6:12-15,  18:21-35. 

Apply  this  principle  to  any  problems  or  relationships 
which  you  may  have — that  you  treat  others  as  you  wish 
God  to  treat  you— and  see  what  happens. 

Would  such  a  practice  eliminate  all  criticism  of  others, 
suspicion,  jealousy,  evil  speaking,  race  antipathy  and  in¬ 
ternational  strife? 

If  there  is  some  one  whom  you  do  not  like  try  it  on 

bjjSk 

Keep  a  record  this  week  of  the  experiences  with  others 
which  tend  to  make  you  angry  and  study  out  why  these 
experiences  thus  affect  you. 

Second  Day 

Read  Luke  2:51,  Matthew  19:19,  Eph.  6:1-10,  John  19: 
26,  27. 

Write  out  the  teaching  as  to  how  a  Christian  should 
live  in  his  home. 


24 


Why  are  some  Christians  more  courteous  and  agreeable 
away  from  home  than  at  home? 

If  one  of  Jesus’  last  thoughts,  in  agony  of  death,  was 
for  the  comfort  of  His  mother,  what  do  you  suppose  was 
their  relation  in  daily  life  at  home? 

What  are  the  chief  causes  of  strife  between  parents  and 
children  ? 

What  is  the  cure? 

Third  Day 

Read  Matthew  6  :9  and  23  :8,  9. 

Why  do  members  of  a  good  family  work  together  better 
than  an  average  office  staff? 

Just  what  practical  changes  would  it  make  in  the  group 
with  whom  you  work,  if  you  should  all  come  to  think  of 
each  other  as  brothers  in  the  same  family? 

Fourth  Day 

Read  Matthew  7  :l-5  and  7 :12. 

What  is  the  difference  between  estimating  a  person  and 
judging  him? 

Would  habitual  obedience  to  the  teachings  of  Jesus  here 
overcome  all  causes  of  strife? 

What  more  is  needed  in  a  good  team  of  workers  or  play¬ 
ers  than  to  avoid  division  or  strife? 

How  do  you  get  it? 

Fifth  Day 

Read  I  Cor.  Chapt.  13. 

Whom  have  you  found  it  most  difficult  to  live  and  work 
with  harmoniously  ? 

Why? 


25 


Do  you  find  any  definite  solution  in  this  chapter  for  the 
problem  of  living  harmoniously  with  this  person? 

Sixth  Day 

Read  Matthew  5:21-24. 

What  is  the  relation  between  harmony  with  men  and 
harmony  with  God? 

Before  you  write  your  answer  to  this  question  read  I 
John  1:6-7,  2:9-11,  3:14-17,  23,  24. 

Why  cannot  a  gossip  pray  effectively? 

Seventh  Day 

Read  Matthew  5 :39-48. 

Under  what  conditions  can  you  live  and  work  harmoni¬ 
ously  with  persons  whom  you  dislike? 

Can  you  love  a  person  whom  you  dislike? 

Have  you  done  it? 

What  is  the  modern  meaning  of  “the  other  cheek”  and 
“the  second  mile”? 

Find  two  men  or  a  group  of  men  who  should  be  friends 
but  are  unfriendly,  and  bring  about  a  real  friendly  peace 
among  them. 

Read  “The  Greatest  Thing  in  the  World,”  by  Henry 
Drummond.  And  “The  Second  Mile,”  by  Fosdick. 

PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 

1.  What  are  the  most  common  causes  of  division  and 
strife  in  any  group  ? 

What  is  the  remedy? 

2.  A  staff  of  Association  secretaries  was  broken  up  be¬ 
cause  each  of  three  secretaries  on  the  staff  insisted  that  his 
department  was  not  getting  its  share  of  appropriations. 


26 


What  was  wrong  with  the  controversy  ? 

3.  If  you  do  not  believe  in  non-resistance  how  do  you 
interpret  Jesus’  teaching  in  Matthew  5:39-48? 

4.  Compare  with  other  members  of  the  group  your  an¬ 
swers  to  the  questions  of  section  seven  of  this  lesson. 

5.  If  you  have  ever  been  in  or  seen  a  heated  controversy, 
what  caused  it  and  how  could  it  have  been  avoided? 


27 


LESSON  VII. 


WINNING  OTHERS 

Whether  or  not  Christianity  can  bring  its  saving  energy 
into  all  life  everywhere  depends,  of  course,  upon  its  expan¬ 
sive  power.  Is  it  infectious?  If  one  man  has  it,  should 
his  neighbour  get  it  from  him  ?  Certainly  real  Christian¬ 
ity  is  exceedingly  convincing  and  attractive  and  does  nat¬ 
urally  spread.  Few  Christians  are  aggressively  and 
scientifically  busy  leading  others  to  become  Christians. 
Should  they  be  winners  of  men,  and  if  so,  what  is  the 
secret  of  doing  it  very  successfully? 

First  Day 

Read  Matthew  28:16-20. 

These  were  Jesus’  last  instructions  to  His  followers. 

Is  it  reasonable  to  suppose  that  He  here  told  them  the 
things  He  was  most  anxious  Christians  should  do  ? 

How  far  do  these  three  commands  to  His  followers  ap¬ 
ply  to  us  ordinary  men? 

Second  Day 

Read  Mark  1 :16-20. 

Jesus  evidently  expected  some  men  to  leave  their  busi¬ 
ness  and  give  all  their  time  to  winning  men  to  the  Chris¬ 
tian  life. 

How  shall  a  man  decide  whether  he  is  or  is  not  called 
to  give  his  life  to  professional  Christian  work? 

Third  Day 

Suppose  Simon  had  gone  on  with  Jesus  but  Jesus  and 
Andrew  had  agreed  that  Andrew  should  continue  the  fish¬ 
ing  business :  What  would  have  been  the  difference  between 

28 


the  two  brothers  in  their  responsibility  for  winning  other 
men  to  the  Christian  life? 

What  does  it  reveal  about  a  man  if  he  makes  no  effort 
to  win  others  to  his  political  party,  his  organization  or 
his  college? 

Fourth  Day 

Read  John  4:1-26. 

Make  a  list  of  the  excuses  Jesus  might  have  given  for 
not  trying  to  win  this  woman? 

What  excuse  do  you  usually  use? 

What  induced  Jesus  to  talk  with  the  woman  in  spite  of 
serious  handicaps? 

Fifth  Day 

What  are  some  of  the  qualities  which  a  man  should 
have  in  order  to  be  a  successful  “fisher  of  men”  ? 

Look  through  John  4:1-26  again  for  evidence  on  this 
point. 

Why  do  you  suppose  Jesus  chose  fishermen  to  help  Him 
win  men? 

Why  did  He  not  rather  choose  priests  and  scholars? 

Whom  have  you  known  that  was  a  successful  winner  of 
men  in  spite  of  handicaps? 

Sixth  Day 

Look  through  Mark  1 : 16-45  and  make  a  list  of  the  places 
where  Jesus  did  His  work. 

Is  it  fair  to  assume  that  every  effort  of  His,  wherbvei 
He  was,  was  to  make  good  Christians  out  of  men? 

What  advantages  does  a  business  or  professional  man 
have  over  a  preacher  in  winning  men  to  the  Christian  life  ? 

29 


Seventh  Day 

The  process  of  becoming  a  Christian  and  growing  into 
a  full  stature  as  a  Christian  is  a  process  with  many  steps 
in  it.  Winning  others  involves  helping  them  make  all  the 
steps.  Probably  the  most  difficult  step  is  the  first  decision 
to  be  an  out  and  out  Christian. 

Why  is  this  true? 

What  are  the  causes  of  success  and  failure  in  bringing 
non-Christian  men  to  this  great  decision? 

Talk  with  at  least  one  of  your  friends  about  definitely 
deciding  to  be  an  out  and  out  Christian  and  pray  and  work 
for  a  decision. 

Read  “Individual  Work  for  Individuals,”  by  Trumbull. 

PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 

1.  What  are  the  qualities  necessary  if  a  Christian  is 
to  be  a  successful  “fisher  of  men”? 

2.  Why  does  the  average  Christian  find  it  difficult  to 
talk  with  other  men  about  becoming  a  Christian? 

3.  Is  a  Christian  lawyer  or  teacher  as  responsible  for 
winning  men  as  is  the  Christian  preacher?  Why? 

4.  What  changes,  if  any,  has  this  lesson  made  in  your 
idea  of  a  Christian’s  responsibility  in  winning  others  to 
the  Christian  life? 

5.  Who  is  the  most  successful  Christian  you  know  in 
bringing  others  to  decision  for  the  Christian  life?  What 
is  the  explanation  of  his  success? 


30 


LESSON  VIII. 

MEETING  SOCIAL  NEED 

The  Challenge  of  this  generation  to  Christianity  is  that 
it  should  solve  our  social  and  industrial  problems.  The 
world  is  satisfied  with  Christ.  It  is  not  much  interested 
in  our  dogma  or  form  of  ecclesiastical  organization,  but 
it  very  much  wants  a  solution  for  some  serious  social  and 
international  problems,  and  it  has  an  idea  that  Chistianity 
was  meant  to  solve  these  problems.  Being  a  Christian 
has  consisted  very  often  in  a  mystical  experience  or  in 
acceptance  of  certain  dogmas  without  any  practical  rela¬ 
tions  to  the  way  men  live  in  the  community.  The  world 
is  calling  upon  Christianity  to  function  in  daily  life, 
solving  the  problems  of  industry,  race,  and  nations.  What 
change  will  be  necessary  in  the  average  Christian  before 
this  is  done? 

Read  Luke  10:25-27. 

First  Day 

What  answer  would  an  average  Christian  teacher  have 
given  to  the  question  of  this  young  lawyer? 

Assuming  that  the  Priest  was  religious  and  the  Levite 
was  moral,  what  was  wrong  with  the  Priest’s  religion  and 
the  Levite’s  morals? 

Can  a  man  be  a  Christian  manufacturer  and  get  rich 
on  cheap  labor? 

Can  a  workman  be  a  Christian  and  earn  less  than  his 
wages  ? 

How  many  of  the  poor  families  of  your  acquaintance 
are  poor  as  a  result  of  an  un-Christian  distribution  of 
wealth  and  how  many  because  of  their  own  fault  and 
failures  ? 


31 


Second  Day 

Although  the  Priest  did  not  help  the  man  physically, 
if  he  prayed  for  him,  was  not  that  his  better  part  in  ser¬ 
ving  the  man? 

Jesus  did  not  say  that  the  Good  Samaritan  rendered  the 
man  any  spiritual  service.  Would  the  parable  be  im¬ 
proved  if  Jesus  had  said  that  the  Samaritan  arranged  for 
the  Priest  to  return  to  the  inn  to  talk  with  the  wounded 
man  about  his  soul? 

Third  Day 

Jesus  defined  my  neighbor  as  a  man  in  need  whose  need 
I  am  able  to  meet  and  He  said  a  man  has  spiritual  life — 
that  is,  he  is  a  Christian  if  he  loves  God  with  his  entire 
life  and  meets  the  need  of  his  needy  neighbors. 

What  is  the  relation  between  spiritual  worship  and  so¬ 
cial  service? 

Was  the  Good  Samaritan  rendering  spiritual  help  when 
he  took  physical  care  of  the  wounded  man?  Are  you 
sure? 

Fourth  Day 

Perhaps  the  Priest  and  the  Levite  hurried  on  to  Jericho 
to  start  a  movement  for  good  government  so  there  would 
be  no  more  robberies  on  the  road. 

If  they  did,  was  not  that  better  service  than  the  service 
of  the  Good  Samaritan? 

Was  the  bad  government  and  the  consequent  ineffective 
police  system  within  the  list  of  responsibilities  of  the 
Priest  ? 

If  the  Priest  had  secured  the  real  conversion  of  the 
grafting  official  responsible  for  the  Jericho  road,  would 
that  have  stopped  the  robberies? 


32 


Under  what  conditions  should  a  preacher  be  candidate 
for  office  in  his  city  ? 

Fifth  Day 

What  did  the  Priest  lack  as  an  effective  personal  worker 
hoping  to  win  the  wounded  man  to  Christ? 

As  far  as  the  story  goes,  did  the  Samaritan  meet  his 
full  responsibility  to  the  wounded  man? 

What  effect  would  it  have  on  you  if  you  were  in  a  city 
mission  with  no  place  to  sleep,  if  a  prominent  churchman 
drove  up  to  the  mission  in  his  limousine,  threw  off  his  fur 
coat  and  urged  you  to  become  a  Christian? 

Sixth  Day 

Read  Matthew  25  :31-40. 

What  did  Jesus  mean  by  saying  that  service  rendered  to 
needy  people  is  service  to  Him  ? 

Under  what  conditions  does  service  to  others  develop  a 
man’s  own  religious  life? 

What  is  the  relation  between  love  of  God  and  love  of 
man  ? 

Does  each  always  cause  the  other? 

Did  you  ever  know  a  Christian  who  enjoyed  being  with 
sinners  and  outcasts? 

Seventh  Day 

What  evidence  do  you  get  from  the  life  and  ministry  of 
Jesus  while  on  earth  as  to  the  possibility  of  combining 
a  spiritual  individualistic  gospel  with  a  social  program? 

Glance  through  the  first  three  chapters  of  Mark’s  gos¬ 
pel  for  evidence  on  this  point. 


33 


A  prominent  citizen  made  the  charge  against  a  Western 
College  that  a  boy  could  not  spend  four  years  in  that  col¬ 
lege  and  retain  his  respect  for  a  millionaire  father.  If 
this  charge  was  well  founded  what  was  wrong  with  the 
college  ? 

Enlist  one  or  two  of  your  friends  to  join  with  you  in 
some  needy  service  in  the  community. 


PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 

1.  What  basic  new  relation  does  a  man  bear  to  his  com¬ 
munity  when  he  becomes  a  Christian  ? 

2.  Two  very  earnest  Christians  had  a  heated  argument 
on  the  question,  “Is  it  the  Church’s  chief  business  to  save 
sinners  or  to  save  society?”  What  was  wrong  with  that 
argument. 

3.  What  is  the  chief  unsolved  social  problem  in  your 
community  which  can  be  best  solved  by  the  power  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  ? 

4.  Compare  with  other  members  of  the  group  your  an¬ 
swers  to  the  questions  in  section  six  of  this  lesson. 

5.  If  a  Christian  banker  with  an  income  of  $10,000  a 
year  has  a  non-Christian  chauffeur  with  an  income  of 
$1,000  a  year  and  both  have  five  children,  what  shall  the 
banker  and  his  wife  do  for  the  chauffeur  and  his  family? 


34 


LESSON  IX. 


MEETING  SOCIAL  NEED  (Continued) 

The  drive  of  Christianity  has  slowed  down  while  men 
debate  whether  our  religion  is  a  social  or  an  individual 
religion.  As  a  matter  of  history  it  has  been  mostly  indi¬ 
vidual.  Many  earnest  folk  are  alarmed  at  the  present 
trend  toward  social  Christianity  lest  this  trend  weaken 
the  spiritual  vitality  of  Christians  and  of  the  Church. 
Does  or  can  a  social  religious  program  deepen  and  enrich 
spiritual  life?  Are  social  and  individual  religions  oppo¬ 
site  or  separate,  or  are  they  parts  of  the  same  experience? 
How  far  shall  the  Church  enter  aggressively  into  the  solu¬ 
tion  of  social  problems? 

First  Day 

Read  Matthew  25 : 31-40. 

What  is  the  Church  in  your  community  doing  to  in¬ 
crease  the  income  of  the  poor,  improve  health  conditions 
and  reduce  crime? 

Second  Day 

Make  a  list  of  five  needy  or  unfortunate  “neighbors” 
of  yours. 

What  is  their  attitude  toward  the  Church? 

Why? 

What  is  the  Church’s  attitude  toward  them? 

Why? 

What  is  the  Church’s  program  for  them? 

How  would  you  improve  this  program? 


35 


Third  Day 

What  is  the  chance  of  saving  these  “neighbors”  spir¬ 
itually  in  their  present  economic  and  social  condition? 

What  would  be  the  effect  on  the  Church  if  it  could  end 
poverty,  strikes  and  unsocial  living  conditions? 

What  will  be  the  effect  on  the  Church  if  it  does  not 
do  these  things? 

Are  the  laboring  classes  in  your  community  as  a  group 
in  the  Church  in  as  large  proportion  as  other  groups? 

Why  ? 


Fourth  Day 

Read  John  21 :15-17. 

What  is  the  evidence  that  a  man  is  telling  the  truth 
when  he  sings,  “My  Jesus  I  love  thee”? 

Where  is  the  best  place  in  your  community  to  love  God  ? 
Do  you  believe  in  the  “Social  Program  of  the  Federal 
Council  of  Churches”  ? 

Fifth  Day 

Read  Matthew  9:10-13. 

Would  the  sinners  and  outcasts  of  your  community 
enjoy  a  dinner  in  your  home? 

Would  you  enjoy  having  them? 

Would  they  enjoy  attending  your  Church? 

Would  they  find  in  your  Church  the  solution  of  the 
most  urgent  problems  of  their  lives? 

Sixth  Day 

Read  Luke  6 :31-36. 

Make  a  list  of  the  leaders  in  your  Church. 

Then  write  out  some  of  the  things  that  would  happen 
in  your  community  if  they  should  all  live  by  the  Golden 
Rule. 


36 


What  reasons  did  Jesus  give  for  living  especially  for 
our  unattractive  neighbors,  even  for  our  enemies? 

Seventh  Day 

Read  Acts  1 :8. 

What  do  you  mean  by  “being  witnesses”? 

Who  among  your  friends  has  been  the  best  evidence  of 
the  reality  of  Christ  and  His  power? 

How  did  he  do  it? 

How  would  it  affect  the  Evangelistic  results  of  your 
church  if  it  should  put  on  a  vigorous  program  to  accom¬ 
plish  these  things  in  the  community?: 

1.  Bring  about  such  a  distribution  of  wealth  that  all 
children  would  have  an  adequate  opportunity  for  educa¬ 
tion,  leisure,  and  play. 

2.  Bring  about  peace  and  cooperation  between  social, 
industrial,  and  racial  groups. 

3.  Lead  all  Christians  to  live  their  daily  lives  in  the 
community  according  to  the  teaching  and  spirit  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

Talk  with  your  pastor  or  some  leader  in  the  church 
about  enlisting  your  friends  in  some  service  in  the  com¬ 
munity  for  the  church. 


PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 

1.  What  should  be  the  chief  items  of  your  Church’s 
program  in  the  community? 

2.  Should  a  Church  forum  or  Bible  Class  discuss  a 
political  election? 

3.  Should  the  Church  promote  a  recreational  program 
in  your  community?  What  should  be  some  of  its  chief 
items  ? 


37 


Should  any  of  its  recreational  program  be  held  on  Sun¬ 
day? 

4.  What  changes,  if  any,  have  the  last  two  lessons  made 
in  your  idea  of  the  responsibility  of  a  Christian  and  of 
the  Church  in  your  community  ? 

5.  What  is  the  chief  problem  to  be  solved  before  your 
church  will  carry  out  an  adequate  social  program? 


38 


LESSON  X. 


BECOMING  A  CHRISTIAN 

A  sophomore  in  college  held  the  genuine  respect  of  every¬ 
one  who  knew  him.  He  was  a  gentleman  and  always  had 
been  strictly  honest  in  his  work,  a  charming  sport  on  the 
athletic  field.  He  was  a  modest  leader  in  many  lines  of 
service  in  college  and  expected  to  go  out  into  life  to  be  of 
his  maximum  use  to  the  world,  but  he  wasn’t  a  Christian. 
One  evening,  talking  with  a  friend,  he  decided  to  become  a 
Christian  and  did  so.  What  actually  happened?  No  im¬ 
portant  change  was  made  in  his  character  or  life  program, 
but  that  night  he  was  a  Christian  and  at  noon  he  wasn’t. 
What  made  him  a  Christian? 

Study  the  incident  in  Matthew  19  :16-30. 

First  Day 

Could  a  man  be  a  Christian  and  disobey  any  of  these 
commands  which  Jesus  gave? 

If  he  obeyed  them  all  would  he  be  a  Christian? 

Could  a  person  be  selfish,  mean,  and  dishonest  and  yet 
be  a  Christian? 

Second  Day 

What  do  you  think  was  the  purpose  of  Jesus’  command 
to  the  young  man  that  he  distribute  all  his  possessions  to 
the  poor? 

Was  it  for  the  sake  of  the  man  or  for  the  sake  of  the 
poor? 

Did  he  mean  that  a  Christian  should  not  own  property? 

Third  Day 

Exactly  what  change  did  Jesus  want  to  make  in  the 
man’s  life  when  he  said  “Then  come  and  follow  Me”? 


39 


Under  what  conditions  can  a  man  follow  Jesus  and  yet 
work  all  day  in  an  office  or  school? 

Under  what  conditions  could  a  man  give  all  of  his 
possessions  to  the  poor  and  all  of  his  time  to  good  works 
and  yet  not  follow  Jesus? 

Who  among  your  friends  is,  in  your  judgment,  most 
truly  following  Jesus? 

Write  out  what  it  means  to  you  to  “follow  Jesus”? 

Fourth  Day 

What  are  the  two  or  three  most  common  ideas  as  to 
what  a  man  must  do  to  become  a  Christian? 

flow  do  these  differ  from  the  conditions  which  Jesus 
laid  down  for  this  young  man? 

For  instance,  if  a  fine  moral  young  man  went  to  a  min¬ 
ister  and  said  that  he  wanted  to  become  a  Christian  what 
would  the  minister  probably  tell  him  to  do? 

Fifth  Day 

Why  would  obedience  to  these  two  commands,  “to  give 
his  possessions  to  the  poor  and  to  follow  Jesus,”  make  the 
man  a  Christian  while  obedience  to  the  other  six  com¬ 
mands  did  not  make  the  man  a  Christian? 

What  would  obedience  to  these  two  commands  accom¬ 
plish  which  obedience  to  the  other  six  commands  failed  to 
accomplish  ? 

Why  will  a  person  live  eternally  who  gives  his  posses¬ 
sions  to  the  poor  and  follows  Jesus? 

Was  Jesus  teaching  the  same  truth  in  Luke  10:25-28? 

Sixth  Day 

Why  was  it  hard  for  the  man  to  follow  Jesus? 


40 


Why  is  it  any  harder  for  a  rich  man  to  become  a  Chris¬ 
tian  than  a  poor  man? 

Under  what  conditions  would  a  rich  man  find  it  easier 
to  become  a  Christian  than  a  poor  man  would? 

Seventh  Day 

Read  again  Matthew  19  :27-30. 

Does  this  answer  of  Jesus  to  Peter  throw  any  light  on 
what  Jesus  meant  by  following  Him? 

What  do  you  think  He  meant  by  the  expression  “for  my 
name’s  sake”? 

What  do  you  mean  when  you  say  you  do  something  for 
another’s  sake? 

Think  of  some  fine  young  man  whom  you  know  is  not 
a  Christian. 

What  does  he  need  to  do  to  become  a  Christian? 

Talk  with  some  good  friend  who  is  not  a  Christian  and 
discover  the  chief  reason  why  he  is  not  a  Christian. 

Read  “What  it  Means  to  be  a  Christian,”  by  Bosworth. 


PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 

1.  What  actually  happens  when  a  man  becomes  a 
Christian?  If  you  should  say  that  your  friend  became  a 
Christian  today,  just  what  do  you  mean?  How  is  he  dif¬ 
ferent  from  what  he  was  yesterday? 

2.  What  change,  if  any,  has  this  week’s  study  made  in 
your  own  idea  of  just  what  happens  when  a  man  becomes 
a  Christian? 

3.  Exactly  what  changes  would  come  in  your  com¬ 
munity  if  every  man  who  becomes  a  Christian  would 
understand  and  follow  the  teachings  of  this  lesson  ? 


41 


4.  Compare  with  other  members  of  the  group  your  an¬ 
swers  to  the  question  in  section  three  of  this  week’s  lesson. 

5.  Revise  this  statement  to  agree  with  your  own  be¬ 
liefs,  “A  man  becomes  a  Christian  when  he  chooses  to 
devote  his  life  to  unselfish  service  for  his  fellowmen  be¬ 
cause  of  his  love  for  and  loyalty  to  Christ.” 

Read  “In  His  Steps,”  by  Charles  M.  Sheldon. 


42 


LESSON  XI. 


TWICE  BORN  MEN 

Conversion  is  not  as  definite  and  prominent  a  factor  in 
religion  as  it  was  formerly.  Religion  shows  a  tendency 
to  be  more  scientific  and  more  social.  Is  it  also  increasing 
in  reality  of  religious  experience  and  spiritual  power? 
While  this  scientific  age  is  less  interested  in  certain  emo¬ 
tional  experience  once  prominent  in  connection  with  the 
beginnings  of  the  Christian  life,  is  it  less  interested  in 
the  reality  of  the  spiritual  experience  of  men?  Is  our 
religion  primarily  a  steady  and  growing  experience  with 
God,  the  beginning  of  which  might  well  he  called  a  new 
birth  ? 


First  Day 

Read  John  3  :l-8. 

Here  Jesus  described  the  beginning  of  the  Christian’s 
new  relation  to  God. 

What  change  could  come  in  a  man’s  life  which  you 
would  be  willing  to  describe  as  a  new  birth  ? 

Thousands  of  reliable  men  have  had  a  spiritual  experi¬ 
ence  which  has  so  changed  their  lives  that  they  are  quite 
willing  to  describe  it  as  Jesus  did  as  “being  born  again.” 
The  important  thing  is  to  “have”  this  experience  even  if 
you  cannot  fully  understand  it. 


Second  Day 

Read  again  John  3:1-8. 

Just  what  do  you  suppose  Jesus  considered  Nicodemus 
as  lacking  in  his  preparation  for  the  Kingdom  ? 


43 


Was  it  faulty  philosophy  or  theology?  That  is  if  Nico- 
demus  had  come  fully  to  a  correct  belief  in  Jesus  as  the 
Messiah,  would  Jesus  have  considered  that  Nicodemus  was 
then  “born  again.” 


Third  Day 

Read  again  John  3:1-8. 

Do  you  get  any  light  on  what  experience  Jesus  thought 
Nicodemus  needed  from  His  expressions  “Born  from 
above,”  “Born  of  the  spirit,”  “Born  of  water  and  the 
spirit” ? 

Is  being  “born  of  the  spirit”  the  same  as  being  con¬ 
verted  ? 

Many  reliable  men  have  had  a  very  definite  experience 
which  they  have  called  a  conversion. 

What  do  you  think  actually  happens  when  men  are  con¬ 
verted  ? 

Is  it  an  act  of  the  man  or  of  God  or  of  both? 

If  of  both  man  and  God  what  does  each  do? 


Fourth  Day 

Compare  this  teaching  of  Jesus  with  what  he  taught 
the  young  lawyer  in  Luke  18:18-25. 

Was  Jesus  asking  these  two  men  to  have  the  same  ex¬ 
perience? 

Is  being  “born  of  the  spirit”  the  same  as  deciding  to 
“Follow  Jesus”? 

Or  does  being  born  of  the  spirit  follow  as  a  result  of 
deciding  to  “Follow  Jesus”? 


44 


Fifth  Day 

Read  John  1 :12-13. 

Does  this  passage  throw  any  new  light  on  what  Jesus 
meant  by  “being  born  again”  ? 

Exactly  what  is  meant  by  “accepting”  or  “receiving” 
Christ  ? 

Is  it  the  same  as  “following  Jesus”? 

Study  I  John  2  :29-3  :4  for  additional  evidence  on  what 
it  means  to  be  “born  again,”  and  how  it  is  brought  about? 

Are  Christians  sons  of  God  any  more  than  non-Chris¬ 
tians  ? 

Sixth  Day 

Read  John  14:20-23. 

What  experiences  have  you  had  or  do  you  know  of 
others  having  which  correspond  to  these  expressions  of 
Jesus,  “The  Holy  Spirit  remains  with  you  and  will  be 
within  you”;  “You  are  in  Me  and  I  am  in  you”;  “I  will 
appear  to  them”;  “My  Father  and  I  will  live  in  him”? 

If  a  man  had  such  experiences  as  these  steadily  in  his 
daily  life  as  a  result  of  following  Jesus  would  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  such  an  experience  be  called  a  spiritual  rebirth 
or  “being  born  again”? 


Seventh  Day 

If  “being  born  again”  is  the  same  as  conversion  then 
when  some  men  are  born  again  they  have  intense  emo¬ 
tional  experiences  and  some  do  not. 

What  is  the  cause  of  this  difference? 

Is  the  experience  more  real  when  there  is  a  deep  emotion 
connected  with  it? 


45 


Is  it  more  valuable? 

If  a  man  has  never  had  any  conscious  emotional  experi¬ 
ence  of  being  “born  again’’  what  would  be  the  evidence 
that  he  is  born  again? 

What  is  the  evidence  that  you  were  ever  born  physically  ? 

Revise  this  definition :  “Being  born  again”  is  the  ex¬ 
perience  a  man  has  when  Christ’s  spirit  begins  to  rule  in 
his  life  because  he  decides  to  “follow  Jesus.” 

Does  your  own  religious  life  consist  of  certain  beliefs 
and  practices  or  is  it  a  vital  spiritual  experience  which 
you  can  describe  honestly,  as  Paul  did,  as  “Christ  is  living 
in  me”  ? 

Go  to  some  friend  who  lives  a  happy  and  successful 
Christian  life  and  discuss  with  him  the  questions  of  this 
lesson  and  report  results. 

Read  “Twice  Born  Men”  by  Beegbie. 


PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 

1.  What  do  you  think  actually  happens  when  men  have 
the  experience  commonly  known  as  being  converted? 

Do  all  Christians  have  it? 

2.  Is  God’s  part  in  a  man  becoming  a  Christian  an 
act,  a  new  attitude,  a  new  relation,  or  it  is  all  or  none  of 
these  ? 

3.  What  are  the  tests  by  which  we  may  know  whether 
or  not  a  man  has  been  “born  again”? 

4.  What  change,  if  any,  would  come  in  the  program  of 
your  Church  if  every  member  of  it  were  conscious  of  be¬ 
ing  “born  again”? 

5.  When  a  man  decides  to  become  a  Christian  does  God 
do  anything  for  the  man  which  he  had  not  been  doing 
before?  If  so,  what? 


46 


LESSON  XII. 


TWICE  BORN  MEN  (Continued) 

Being  born  does  not  insure  health  or  growth.  In  general 
Christians  are  more  successful  at  being  born  again  than 
they  are  at  growing  into  full  stature.  How  do  some  Chris¬ 
tians  keep  on  being  born  anew,  having  increasingly  vivid 
and  valuable  religious  experiences?  A  man  should  be  a 
much  larger  Christian  after  twenty  years’  experience  than 
when  he  was  first  born  again.  But  this  growth  requires 
very  definite  conditions  and  processes.  What  are  they  ? 


First  Day 

Read  John  14:21-24. 

What  did  Jesus  give  as  the  path  to  this  experience  ? 
How  could  a  man  increase  his  love  for  Christ? 

What  to  you  is  the  best  evidence  that  a  man  loves  God  ? 

What  is  the  best  evidence  that  any  one  person  loves 
another  ? 

Second  Day 

Read  John  14:21-24  again. 

Write  out  what  you  consider  to  be  the  chief  “commands” 
which  Jesus  gave  His  followers. 

Could  a  man  come  into  this  spiritual  relationship  with 
God  if  he  faithfully  tried  to  obey  these  commands  but  was 
intellectually  confused  about  some  teachings  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  creeds? 

How  far  do  you  agree  with  Tennyson  that — 

“There  lives  more  faith  in  honest  doubt 
Believe  me  than  in  half  the  creeds.” 


47 


Could  a  person  grow  into  this  vital  spiritual  relation¬ 
ship  if  he  accepted  the  creeds  but  did  not  “love  his  neigh¬ 
bor  as  himself”  as  a  life  program? 

Why  ? 


Third  Day 

Read  John  21 :15-17. 

Suppose  a  man  truly  loved  Christ  and  had  this  experi¬ 
ence  of  vital  fellowship  with  him  hut  failed  to  “feed  his 
sheep”  what  effect  would  that  have  on  his  spiritual  ex¬ 
perience  ? 

What  is  the  relation  between  this  relation  with  God  and 
unselfish  service  for  those  in  need? 

The  owner  of  a  large  department  store  has  a  system  by 
which  he  personally  sees  to  it  that  the  families  of  his  em¬ 
ployees  are  able  to  live  happily  and  effectively. 

Exactly  what  effect  if  any  should  that  have  in  his  own 
religious  experience? 


Fourth  Day 

Read  John  15:1-16. 

Write  out  in  your  own  words  the  teaching  here  as  to 
the  relation  between  a  Christian  and  God. 

What  does  a  vine  do  for  its  branches? 

What  do  branches  do  for  a  vine? 

Define  the  term  “bearing  fruit”  as  Jesus  used  it  here. 
Give  an  illustration. 

What  are  the  conditions  of  “bearing  fruit”? 

Write  out  what  effect  fruit  bearing  has  on  our  rela¬ 
tion  to  God. 


48 


Do  you  know  any  school  teacher  or  business  man  who, 
in  his  daily  work,  is  “bearing  fruit”  in  the  sense  Jesus 
meant  here? 

Fifth  Day 

Read  I  Cor.  2  :9-16. 

Paul  says  his  experience  with  God  did  not  come  through 
his  senses  or  through  reason;  how  then  did  he  come  into 
this  experience? 

In  ordinary  language  just  what  does  it  mean  that  knowl¬ 
edge  of  God  comes  by  spiritual  impressions? 

Have  you  had  any  such  experience? 

Keep  a  record  this  week  of  what  seems  to  you  to  be 
spiritual  impressions. 

Sixth  Day 

Paraphrase  Eph.  3  :14-21. 

What  new  evidence  do  you  find  here  as  to  the  path  to 
comradeship  with  God? 

Who  is  your  best  friend? 

Why? 

What  would  be  the  best  way  to  deepen  that  friendship? 
What  would  mar  it  most? 

Do  these  laws  of  human  friendship  apply  in  our  relation 
to  God? 

It  is  difficult  to  put  into  human  language  the  relation 
of  a  man’s  life  to  a  spiritual  God. 

Does  difficulty  of  expression  cast  suspicion  on  the  real¬ 
ity  of  the  experience  ? 


49 


How  do  you  differ  with  the  authors  of  the  following 
quotations : 

“Tis  strange  that  God  should  wish  to  frame 
And  lift  this  earth  sae  h’ie 
And  clean  forget  to  explain  the  same 
To  a  gentleman  like  me.” 

“We  can  know  God  easily  so  long  as  we  do  not  feel  it 
necessary  to  define  Him.” 

Seventh  Day 

Read  John  7:17  and  Matthew  5:3,  8,  9,  and  10. 

There  are  three  interwoven  paths  to  God, — reason,  emo¬ 
tion,  and  will. 

Are  they  dependent  on  each  other  ? 

For  instance,  can  a  man  love  Christ  without  being  able 
to  reason  out  a  satisfying  belief  in  Him? 

Can  a  man  understand  Christ  who  does  not  love  Him  ? 

Can  a  man  love  Christ  without  obeying  Him  ? 

If  a  man  comes  into  conscious  fellowship  with  God  by 
any  one  of  these  paths,  what  effect  will  that  have  on  the 
other  paths? 

For  instance,  if  by  the  obedience  of  a  surrendered  will 
he  comes  into  this  fellowship,  what  effect  would  that  have 
on  his  intellectual  estimate  of  the  superhuman  nature  of 
Christianity  ? 

Talk  with  some  friend  who  has  difficulty  to  believe  in 
the  superhuman,  about  this  spiritual  relation  to  God  and 
see  if  you  can  help  him  make  the  next  step  into  such  a 
relationship. 

Read  “The  Character  of  Jesus,”  by  Bushnell. 


50 


PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 


1.  What  are  the  laws  of  developing  human  friendship 
and  how  do  they  apply  to  our  friendship  with  God? 

2.  What  change  is  needed  in  a  Christian’s  life  who 
gladly  accepts  the  Apostles  Creed  but  objects  to  sitting 
with  a  “Dago”  in  church  or  in  school? 

3.  What  change,  if  any,  has  this  lesson  made  in  your 
own  idea  of  just  how  a  Christian  maintains  and  increases 
the  vitality  and  richness  of  his  spiritual  experience? 

4.  Compare  with  other  members  of  the  group  your  an¬ 
swers  to  the  questions  in  section  two  of  this  lesson. 

5.  What  are  the  conditions  of  deepening  and  enriching 
our  experience  with  God  ? 


51 


LESSON  XIII. 


A  WORLD  CHRISTIAN 

Does  becoming  a  Christian  make  a  man  a  citizen  of 
the  whole  world?  Is  he  thereby  less  a  patriot?  The 
problem  of  this  generation  is  the  problem  of  the  dove¬ 
tailing  of  the  nations.  Speed  of  transportation  has  made 
the  world  so  small  that  it  is  now  a  neighborhood.  But 
forcing  folks  into  one  community  does  not  make  them 
neighbors.  The  world  is  not  more  peaceable  than  it  was 
when  oceans  separated  far  countries.  Civilization  has 
nearly  failed  before  this  problem.  Can  Christianity  solve 
it?  Is  the  love  of  all  men  everywhere  one  normal  result 
of  becoming  a  Christian  ?  If  it  is  not,  should  it  be  ?  What 
change  in  the  conception  of  the  nature  of  a  Christian  and 
of  the  program  of  the  church  would  enable  Christianity 
to  make  of  the  world  one  harmonious  family  of  all  the 
Children  of  God? 


First  Day 

Read  John  3:16. 

Do  you  suppose  that  God  really  loves  the  world? 

There  are  some  very  unlovely  people  in  Turkey. 

Are  you  prepared  to  believe  that  He  really  loves  them 
all? 

What  do  you  mean  by  saying  He  loves  them  all? 

Does  it  mean  He  pities  them  all  ? 

Does  it  mean  that  He  has  a  happy  life  program  for  all 
of  them  ? 

If  a  Christian  father  has  five  children,  all  with  different 
temperaments  and  all  with  different  degrees  of  loveliness, 
does  He  love  them  all  equally? 

52 


Second  Day 

Head  Matthew  6 :9-10. 

“When  you  pray  say,  ‘Our  Father.” 

How  would  you  revise  these  rules  for  a  good  family? 

(a)  There  are  no  favorite  children.  All  are  treated 
alike. 

(b)  All  share  equally  the  privileges  and  inheritance  of 
the  home. 

(c)  Any  backward,  unfortunate  or  sick  members  are 
graciously  and  liberally  served  according  to  their 
need  by  the  other  members. 

Apply  these  principles  of  family  life  concretely  to  the 
family  of  “all  men  everywhere.” 

For  instance,  if  one  child  has  a  chance  to  get  an  educa¬ 
tion  and  the  other  hasn’t,  what  is  the  mode  of  procedure? 

Suppose  one  child  went  away  from  the  old  home  to  live, 
what  difference  would  that  make? 

Suppose  one  lived  in  Mexico,  what  then  ? 

Or  in  Africa? 

In  practical  every  day  living  what  does  it  mean  to  you 
if  Mr.  Chen  of  Peking  is  a  member  of  your  family,  if  he 
has  five  children  and  an  income  of  $8.00  a  month? 

Third  Day 

In  this  family  of  all  men  everywhere,  if  geographical 
location  does  not  determine  responsibility,  what  does? 

Am  I  not  primarily  responsible  for  those  nearest  me? 

Am  I  primarily  responsible  for  men  of  my  own  nation 
or  race? 

Am  I  primarily  responsible  to  serve  those  who  need  it 
most  wherever  they  may  be  ? 


53 


Fourth  Day 

Read  again  Matthew  6 :9-10. 

“Thy  Kingdom  come  on  earth.” 

Obviously  a  man  cannot  pray  “May  God  soon  rule  the 
whole  earth”  but  I  will  rule  my  own  time  and  money. 

Under  what  conditions  can  a  man  pray  “Thy  ruleship 
come  on  a  hungry  earth”  and  then  spend  $50,000  for  a 
residence  ? 

Can  a  man  pray  “Thy  Kingdom  come”  and  then  choose 
his  life  work  for  personal  gain  and  pleasure? 

Fifth  Day 

Read  Matthew  28:19-20. 

“Make  disciples  of  all  nations.” 

Was  this  last  command  of  Jesus  meant  for  all  Chris¬ 
tians  ? 

Are  you  sure  about  it? 

A  nationally  known  manufacturer  lives  economically  on 
about  one-tenth  of  his  income.  Nine-tenths  he  gives  to 
Christian  work.  Is  he  obeying  this  last  command  ? 

If  he  gave  one-tenth  and  kept  nine-tenths  would  he  be 
obeying  it? 

What  is  the  explanation  of  the  increase  of  power  and 
enrichment  of  life  which  comes  to  a  Church  or  a  life  which 
is  missionary  in  spirit? 

Sixth  Day 

Do  you  believe  that  America  should  join  in  a  league  of 
nations  ? 

What  are  the  causes  of  the  narrow-mindedness  of  the 
average  American  in  regard  to  world  affairs? 

What  are  the  special  reasons  why  Americans  should  be 
internationally  minded  ? 


54 


Seventh  Day 

Read  Acts  1 :8. 

“Unto  the  uttermost  parts.” 

What  are  the  most  common  excuses  given  by  men  who 
refuse  to  support  foreign  missions? 

Write  out  the  chief  reasons  why  a  Christian  should  ag¬ 
gressively  promote  the  foreign  mission  program  of  the 
Church.  1  ! 

Talk  with  at  least  three  of  your  friends  about  having 
some  part  in  the  missionary  program  of  the  Church  and 
line  them  up  with  some  group  which  is  at  work  on  a  defi¬ 
nite  missionary  task. 

PROBLEMS  FOR  GROUP  DISCUSSION 

1.  What  is  the  cause  and  what  is  the  cure  for  racial 
prejudice? 

2.  An  increasing  number  of  America’s  finest  Christian 
laymen  are  deeply  interested  in  foreign  missions.  What 
causes  are  bringing  this  about  and  how  can  the  number 
be  most  effectively  increased? 

3.  A  nationally  known  manufacturer  lives  economically 
on  about  one-tenth  of  his  income.  Nine-tenths  he  gives  to 
Christian  work  in  many  nations.  Is  he  fully  obeying 
Jesus’  missionary  command?  Would  he  be  obeying  it  if 
he  gave  one-tenth  and  kept  nine-tenths?  What  principle 
should  determine  how  much  he  should  give  away? 

4.  Compare  with  other  members  of  the  group  your  an¬ 
swers  to  the  questions  in  sections  three  and  four  of  this 
week’s  lesson. 

5.  What  changes,  if  any,  has  this  lesson  made  in  your 
idea  of  a  Christian’s  missionary  responsibility? 


55 


LESSON  XIV. 
REVIEW 


How  then  did  Jesus  measure  a  Christian?  How  does 
the  average  Christian  need  to  be  changed  to  come  up  fully 
to  His  measure?  But  this  is  not  a  question  of  philosophy. 
Christianity  is  not  being  tested  by  its  dogma  nor  does  it 
spread  by  accuracy  of  definition.  Are  you  living  the  kind 
of  life  which  if  every  Christian  lived,  the  world  would 
soon  be  Christian?  And  especially  are  you  growing  in 
spiritual  experience  and  in  value  to  your  community  as  a 
Christian.  The  world  waits  in  tense  anxiety  to  know 
whether  or  not  its  threatening  problems  will  be  solved. 
The  answer  will  be  given  only  by  the  permeating  of  all 
life  with  the  Christian  spirit,  broadcasted  by  the  reality 
and  effectiveness  of  the  spiritual  experience  of  Christian 
men. 

Read  through  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  Matthew  5  to  7. 
(The  Scripture  reading  for  each  day  this  week  is  not 
especially  related  to  the  work  assigned.) 

First  Day 

Matthew  5:1-16. 

Write  out  with  great  care  your  measure  of  a  Christian. 

Second  Day 

Matthew  5:17-30. 

Give  yourself  an  honest  grade  as  a  Christian  according 
to  your  own  measure. 

Third  Day 

Matthew  5  :31-48. 

Frame  a  Christian  program  for  your  Church. 

56 


Fourth  Day 

Matthew  6  :1-15, 

Decide  the  next  step  in  the  improvement  of  your  own 
Christian  life  and  make  it. 

Fifth  Day 

Matthew  6  :19-34. 

Decide  what  more  responsibility  you  should  take  in  the 
Church’s  program  in  the  community  and  in  the  world  and 
take  it. 

Sixth  Day 

Matthew  7 :1-14. 

Decide  what  next  step  you  should  take  in  leading  your 
friends  farther  along  in  the  Christian  life  and  plan  to 
make  that  step. 

Seventh  Day 

Matthew  7 :15-29. 

Definitely  covenant  with  God  to  devote  all  your  powers 
to  Him  through  service  of  men  whatever  your  life  work 
may  be. 


57 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  LEADERS 


1.  The  purpose  of  this  course  is  to  help  men  discover 
for  themselves  Jesus’  measure  of  a  Christian  and  to  live 
more  fully  according  to  that  measure. 

2.  This  purpose  will  not  be  achieved  by  lectures,  exhorta¬ 
tions,  or  interesting  class  hours  but  by  honest  thorough 
study  and  well  directed  service.  The  class  hour  exists  to 
produce  thorough  work  during  the  week,  not  vice  versa. 

3.  The  class  hour  should  be  devoted  to  a  discussion  of 
the  problems  stated  at  the  end  of  each  lesson  and  to  re¬ 
ports  of  progress  on  the  service  assigned  for  the  week. 

i 

4.  The  daily  studies  should  be  used  to  find  the  solution 
of  the  problems  stated  at  the  end  of  the  lesson. 

5.  The  “Problems  for  group  discussion”  at  the  end  of 
each  lesson  are  suggested  as  a  guide  for  the  leader  in  the 
class  hour.  The  whole  week’s  work  and  the  class  hour  aim 
directly  at  securing  a  clear  cut  answer  to  the  first  and  last 
problems  stated  each  week  under  this  heading. 

6.  This  program  for  the  class  hour  is  suggested 

(a)  Review  previous  lessons,  especially  the  last  one. 

(b)  Get  full  reports  of  progress  on  service  assigned 
and  meet  difficulties  in  connection  with  this 
service. 

(c)  Test  the  thoroughness  with  which  the  members 
have  followed  the  daily  studies.  This  is  one  in¬ 
centive  to  better  study  next  week. 

(d)  In  connection  with  (c)  gather  the  most  essen¬ 
tial  material  out  of  the  week’s  work  for  the  solu¬ 
tion  of  the  problems  of  the  week. 

58 


(e)  Discuss  thoroughly  the  problems  stated  at  the 
end  of  the  lesson.  Start  this  discussion  by  writ¬ 
ing  on  the  board  the  gist  of  the  answers  framed 
by  members  in  answer  to  the  first  problem  stat¬ 
ed  under  “Problems  for  group  discussion.”  This 
is  the  heart  of  the  week’s  study.  This  item 
should  share  with  the  report  on  assignment  of 
service  most  of  the  time  in  class  hour. 

(f)  Discuss  and  revise,  if  desired,  the  service  as¬ 
signment  at  the  end  of  the  lesson  and  secure 
agreement  of  the  class  to  work  on  it. 

(g)  Assign  next  week’s  lesson  calling  attention  to 
the  points  to  be  emphasized  and  assigning  special 
subjects  for  study  and  report.  It  would  probably 
be  well  to  read  to  the  class  the  introductory  par¬ 
agraph  of  the  next  lesson  with  any  personal 
comments  which  would  increase  interest. 

(h)  Pray  together  for  success  in  carrying  out  the 
service  assigned  and  in  study. 

7.  Keep  the  discussion  always  in  the  realm  of  concrete 
experience  rather  than  abstract  dogma.  Keep  constantly 
asking  for  illustrations  of  principles  discussed.  Be  ready 
with  apt  illustrations  yourself  but  do  not  use  them  if  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  class  will  furnish  illustrations. 

8.  Urge  students  to  read  the  book  recommended.  At 
least  have  every  book  recommended  read  and  reviewed  for 
the  class  by  some  member. 

9.  Always  give  members  of  the  group  opportunity  to 
bring  up  difficult  questions  which  were  discovered  in  the 
week’s  study  but  be  on  guard  against  spending  so  much 
time  on  second  rate  or  controversial  questions  that  the 
main  theme  is  lost. 


59 


10.  It  may  be  desirable  to  shorten  the  course  by  omit¬ 
ting  some  lessons.  It  would  be  better  to  maintain  keen 
interest  for  eight  weeks  than  to  lose  out  at  the  end. 

11.  A  few  “donts” : 

(a)  Never  “exhort.” 

(b)  Do  not  let  the  talkative  member  or  leader  mon¬ 
opolize  the  time. 

(c)  Never  do  any  thinking  for  the  student  which 
you  can  get  him  to  do  for  himself. 

(d)  Do  not  run  over  the  hour. 

12.  Read  the  following: 

Jesus  the  Master. — Horne. 

Teaching  A  Bible  Class. — See. 

First  Aid  In  Leading  A  Bible  Study  Group. — Elliott. 

13.  Be  a  persistent,  merciless  student  of  your  own  suc¬ 
cesses  and  failures  as  a  leader.  Take  time  every  week 
to  analyze  your  group,  the  progress  of  each  member  in  it 
and  the  methods  being  used. 


60 


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